Review: 'A Lot Like a Lady' by Kay Springsteen and Kim Bowman

4:00 PM

Ladies' maid Juliet Baines does what she's told. Her mistress, Annabella Price, does what she likes. So when Lady Annabella decides she can't face a Season in London with a stepbrother she loathes and decides to send her maid instead, Juliet has no choice but to go along with the scheme. And what a scheme it is! Since the death of his father, the Duke of Wyndham, years earlier, Annabella's stepbrother has refused to set foot on the country estate he inherited, sending a clear message that his stepmother and her daughter are not to be welcomed by polite society. But Annabella's mother is determined that her daughter make a good match. Trouble is, the bitter Annabella has no intention of giving the ton further opportunity to cut her. So she plots the perfect solution — not only will her maid travel to London in her place, she'll spend a few weeks with the newest Duke of Wyndham pretending to be Lady Annabella!

Graeme Roland Dominick Markwythe, the Sixth Duke of Wyndham (Grey for short), is furious with his stepmother for saddling him with his husband-hunting stepsister. He has no intention of suffering through a London Season himself, let alone in the company of a spoiled debutante primed to take advantage of him. But after watching Annabella interact with his household and the two eccentric elderly aunts acting as chaperones, confusion sets in. She's not the brat he remembers. Then he discovers he alone is responsible for the social exile he'd never realized his stepfamily was suffering. Now his foremost duty is to rectify the matter, and he'll start by finding his stepsister a titled beau. And the sooner the better. Because the feelings he's developing for Annabella are far from fraternal.

Meanwhile, Juliet, when she's not struggling with her own social ineptness, her conscience, and her frustration with Annabella for even thinking she could pull off this crazy caper, finds herself falling for the duke, who is nothing like the arrogant, self-centered tyrant Annabella led her to expect. Not that it matters. Because once her host discovers not only the trick she and Annabella have played, but that he's been treating a servant like one of the family, he'll dismiss Juliet and her mother. She'll never see him again.

Which means she'd better enjoy him while she can.

A Lot Like a Lady is a vibrant historical tale crafted with a pleasing balance of angst and hilarity. Heroine Juliet is impulsive and sweet, and during her interactions with Grey, she shows both a touching vulnerability and an admirable strength of will. I would have liked for her to display more self-confidence, and the little minx never does admit to herself that she made it far too easy for Annabella to talk her into deceiving the duke, considering the inevitable consequences. But co-authors Bowman and Springsteen give the maid good reason to risk her livelihood. A near-hysterical Annabella convinces Juliet she can't face anymore of polite society's disdain. And, of course, as Annabella's servant, Juliet has no choice but to follow orders. Plus, she's never been to London and may never get another chance — who can blame her for wanting to star in her own Cinderella fantasy?

Grey's background is a little meatier, and I really enjoyed how the authors presented him, piece by intriguing piece. Grey could never bring himself to return to Wyndham Green after his father died, as it brought back too many painful memories. Not only of his father's death, but of his brother, who chose to emigrate to America. The duke's loneliness and wistful remembrances of his country home render him vulnerable to Juliet's girlish, informal charm. But it takes no more than a dinner party to make Grey suspect his female guest is not Annabella — kudos to Bowman and Springsteen for not pushing the ruse beyond believability. And the fact that Grey has recently uncovered inconsistencies in the financial handling of Wyndham has him wondering — can this lovely impostor be scheming against him?

As you can see, the story is rife with conflict and emotional challenges — and the authors sneak in a delightful surprise or three, giving a familiar plot a refreshing spin. At times the story tends toward the sappy, and in places the writing could be leaner, but the slow, gratifying build of the romance between Juliet and Grey, the gentle inclusion of historical detail and the comical cast of secondary characters — including a feisty bulldog named after a neighboring noble — all make A Lot Like a Lady a pleasurable and compelling Regency romp. And as for the irrepressible Annabella, keep an eye out for her story in the upcoming Something Like a Lady.

Kathy Altman is a soon-to-be-published author of contemporary romance and romantic suspense. She's a member of Romance Writers of America (RWA) and Washington Romance Writers (WRW) and is also active in the online Harlequin community. Her website is KathyAltman.com.

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